Burial-casket.



PATENT@ 001.18, 1904..

W. J. D. RIPSON. BURIAL GASKET.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1904.

No MODEL.

Patented October 18, 1904.

PAT-ENT OFFICE.v

JOHN D. RIPSON, OF PEPPERELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

BURIAL-GASKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 772,74*?,dated October 18, 1904..

Applicationiiled May 3l, 1904.

To all whom it may concern.-

This invention has for its object the pro-y duction of a casket having a permanently-v connected top that may be sustained over the i body of the casket as a canopy, as when a body above the pivot b2. 5o

is laid therein to be viewed, and which may be lowered onto the body and be locked in closed position.

Figure l, in side elevation, represents a casket provided with a canopy-top, the top being raised and with the side of the body of the casket opened. Fig. luis a detail to be referred to. Fig. 2 is a' top view of the end of the body, the side being closed. Fig. 3 is a section to show one form of catch to retain the lid in its closed position, and Fig. 4 is a detail showing one of the canopy-supports detached. Fig. 5 is' a detail showing the side piece hinged to the body of the casket.

The body A of the casket is shown as having its sides A hinged at their lower ends, (see Fig. 5,) so that said sides may be turned outwardly, as representedy in Fig. l, as when a person occupies the casket. The ends of the sides A and the portions of the head and foot ends of the body where said parts abut are beveled, as at 10.. The top of then body at its four corners has applied thereto by screws at blocks or platesa ofmetal, having rising therefrom semicircular lugs a2, opposite portions of which have holes to receive (see Fig. 4) studs 603 that sustain the lower ends of the longer members I) of the canopysupports B, said supports having a second member pivoted thereto at b2 at a point below the upper end of the member The upper end of the member and the part of the member b' in contact with the same are so shaped as to receive over them a split sleeve c, slidable vertically on said support member b (see Fig. 1) is pivoted at 2 to a The upper end of the serial No.Y 210,605. (No model.)

plate d, like the plate ct', and secured to the under side of the canopy-top D. When the top is raised, as it may be by lifting thesame by hand, the sleeve o is slipped over the overlapping parts of the members and b', as in Figs. l and 4, and the top is maintained in its elevated position, and the portions ft2 of the like plates a and d, acting against the outer sides of tlie respective members 5 and prevent endwise movement of the top. The upper edge of the body and the under side of the top, near the points where the members I) and b are pivotally connected therewith, have, respectively, lateral grooves f f, and this lupper edge of the hinged or removable side moving inwardly, and the top may be then lowered. As the under side of the top meets the top edge of the body the members Z2 and b enter, respectively, the .grooves f f and are concealed from view, letting the4 top'contact firmly with the upper edge of the body.

It will be understood that the sides A are turned upwardly and the body of the casket is closed before the canopy-top is lowered, and the members b by entering the grooves j' 2 in the upper edge of the side walls of the body lock the latter in their closed positions.

At opposite ends of the casket I provide top locking means, (shown best iny Fig. 3,) comprising a pivoted lever-catch e, controlled by a spring e and adapted to engage the under side of a slotted plate e2, sustained `by the upper edge of the body. The casketl shown is represented as having a cloth covering and as lined with usual silk smocking.

Prior to my invention l am not aware that a casket has ever had jointed to its body a top that could` beraised and held automatically in its elevated position, and I desire, therefore, to claim this subject broadly.

The split sleeve c (shown detached in Fig.

IOO

la) is formed of spring metal and When slipped over the member Z/ hugs the same and exerts sucient friction as to remain in any position on the member b in which it may be left when moved by hand.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A casket comprising a. body, a canopytop, and'jointed inWardly-foldable members connecting said body and top at their four corners.

2. A-casket comprising a body, a canopytop, and foldable supports for connecting seid body and top, said body and top being grooved to receive said supports when the top is lowered onto the body.

3. A casket comprising a body, a canopytop, and foldable supports for connecting said body and top, said body and said top having opposed grooves to receive said supports when the top is lowered onto the body, :uid means for locking the top to the ends of the body.

4. A casket comprising :i body having` :L side adapted to be turned outwardly and downwardly, a canopy-top, and foldable supports connecting the body and top at their corners, said supports when folded concting with the movable side to retain the smne closed.

5. A casket comprising :t body, a canopytop, jointed members permanently attached to said body and top and split sleeves slidirble on one of said members Rs and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have si gned my nznne to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN D. RIPSON.

Titnessesz GEO. W. GREGORY, ABBIE L. PORTER. 

